Messages

526

The Green Room / Re: 'Virginia Woolf' Stage Manager's Report

« on: Dec 19, 2012, 04:07 pm »

It's a pity Malcolm hasn't logged in for a while. He's got an account here. He's been legendary in Chicago since well before I arrived in the late 90's. Fun entries although I do wish they'd fix the spelling of "Manager" in the titles. :S

527

December Madness I: 2012 / Re: Regional Round 5: Multitool vs Photocopier

« on: Dec 18, 2012, 07:19 pm »

I would like to point out that the voting is supposed to be closed tomorrow but the polls are closed now.

The opening of this thread states plainly that the polls would close at noon CST on Tuesday. The technology only allows me to specify a certain number of full days from the time that the poll is posted in the poll itself, rather than a specific closing time.

For the IDMC,
PSMKay

528

December Madness I: 2012 / University, Round 6: Tape Measure vs Stopwatch

« on: Dec 18, 2012, 01:48 pm »

Stripped down to the basics, this is a game of physics. Two measuring devices take the floor, one for distance and the other for time. There is no doubt that both are critical but, as always, only one will take it all home.

Tape measure won a flawless victory against its prior combatant Protractor, but here against Stopwatch it may well break a sweat. The tape measure's uses are obvious to even the basic beginner, but for stage management purposes some of the more critical uses of the stopwatch are beyond the grasp of an industry newcomer. The average high school and college stage manager will spend far longer in the rehearsal room, where the tape measure is king, than in performance where the stopwatch dictates the condition of the show. The stopwatch is pretty much exclusively the tool of the PSM, mostly to the exclusion of the ASMs. This is a battle that will be decided by the breakdown of our membership as much as by the assorted merits of the two teams.

This is the final match of the sweet sixteen and it will determine who takes on Binder in the University League quarterfinals. Good luck to both sides. The match runs through Friday at midnight, CST.

529

December Madness I: 2012 / Commercial Round 6: Laptop vs Highlighter

« on: Dec 18, 2012, 01:37 pm »

The Commercial league is still struggling to weed out the weaker competitors here. Highlighter admittedly faces an uphill battle and will need to bring its A Game in order to make any strides against odds-on favorite Laptop.

This site has seen some stage managers speak out against the use of laptops in the rehearsal hall, citing them as a distraction and a barrier. Can highlighter leverage that sentiment to pull out an upset victory? Only the scoreboard can settle this question.

The match has begun. Voting ends Friday at midnight CST.

530

December Madness I: 2012 / Regional Round 6: Headset vs Cell Phone

« on: Dec 18, 2012, 01:32 pm »

Regional is getting all of the potentially violent matches this go around. Headset vs Cell phone. Both have been tapped be assorted pundits as headed straight for the finals, but they have to get around each other here in the sweet sixteen.

Many will see this as a hall vs booth debacle much like the flashlight/paper match running concurrently. However, this one has far moire significance. The headset is one of the three signifying symbols of the stage manager. It's proven its worth time and again, and any SM who's worked in a smaller house with no coms will understand the vital need for this device.

The cell phone, might seem at first glance to run circles around the headset, but remember: one is provided by the theatre, the other you must bring on your own. And let's not forget what happens to the cell phone when it falls into the wrong hands - like those of an audience member.

Match runs through Friday at midnight CST.

531

December Madness I: 2012 / Community, Round 6: Flashlight vs Paper

« on: Dec 18, 2012, 01:25 pm »

This match will be a battle between the rehearsal room and backstage. Stage managers have chafed for years at the industry's tendency to see them as paper pushers. If the last Regional League matchup between a paper-based tool and a backstage tool is anything to go by, this could be a very interesting game!

Paper beat glow tape previously, meaning that it's accustomed to battling lighting and safety devices. However, the flashlight's versatility and range of specialized attacks will be harder to withstand. Flashlight could bring to bear anything from the powerful scorpions to the massive 4 D Cell Mags to the tiny bite lights. Of course, paper can form itself into many shapes to counteract the onslaught.

Which will win? We'll know Friday at midnight. Game on!

532

December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!

« on: Dec 18, 2012, 01:17 pm »

Ladies and gents, our first quarterfinalists are now known. The first round of the sweet sixteen is over after some vicious battles, intense fan campaigning, a judging scandal and copious amounts of mudflinging.

The results for Round 5:
Gaff tape 34 (W) vs Spike tape 9
Multitool 18 vs Photocopier 24 (W)
Pencil 41 (W - Flawless) vs Three Hole Punch 0
Binder 32 (W) vs Scale Rule 8

As all of these competitors had previously won pretty decisive matches, we've learned here that victory at the lower levels is no protection from getting slaughtered further along. However, as we go into Round 6 we will encounter our first two competitors who won flawless victories in the first tier matches: Headset and Tape Measure. And if the multitool/photocopier battle was the one to watch this weekend, sources predict that this week's matchup of headset vs cell phone may require riot gear by the time we're finished. Sleeper hit Paper is also back in the game this week, which may mean another very interesting competition!

533

December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!

« on: Dec 17, 2012, 11:24 pm »

The International December Madness Committee would like to note that the individuals responsible for sacking the individuals who could previously alter polls have been sacked.

534

December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!

« on: Dec 16, 2012, 04:22 pm »

(In other words, before today one of our site moderators had the ability to fiddle with the poll numbers although he/she hadn't taken advantage of it. I've decided to remove temptation rather than risk accusations of funny business.)

I WANT VOTER IDS AT ALL POLLING LOCATIONS!!!!

(I didn't know I, I mean, I didn't know ONE could fiddle . . . I would never take away america's right to vote, no matter how wrong or stupid their vote may be.)

WE NEED VOTER REFORM!!!!!!!!! 

I believe you should have to PHOTOCOPY your first last page of your last run sheet and mail in in before voting - let's see someone do that with their precious multi-tool.

535

December Madness I: 2012 / University, Round 5: Binder vs Scale Rule

« on: Dec 15, 2012, 01:30 am »

Our two competitors for the University League have both fought tough uphill battles to earn their spots in the sweet sixteen. Binder had the first close shave of the tournament, winning 37 to 19 against the digital light board. Scale rule fought mightily and came from behind to take out Blue gel 28 to 18.

Will binder's simple omnipresence overwhelm the cerebral nature of scale rule's general purpose? Will scale rule be able to surmount the metric/standard debate to win for a second time? Only the fans can decide for us.

Voting is open through Tuesday at noon CST.

536

December Madness I: 2012 / Commercial Round 5: Pencil vs Three Hole Punch

« on: Dec 15, 2012, 01:23 am »

At center court #2 HB and #3 HP face off, ready to take each other down. Two superstars of the tech table, the pencil and the three hold punch are both threatened by the rise of digital stage management but never worthless.

Pencil won its first match handily, 51 to 2. Three hole punch had a vicious fight against screw gun to earn its place on the court, winning narrowly by 26 to 17. Both teams pack a penetrating offense but have a tendency to crack or explode under pressure.

This is one match that will be very messy to clean up no matter how the scoring plays out. We'll be ready with brooms on Tuesday at noon CST.

537

December Madness I: 2012 / Regional Round 5: Multitool vs Photocopier

« on: Dec 15, 2012, 01:18 am »

Two tools that are useful both in the rehearsal hall and in the performance venue are going head to head today. Both are the products of an increasingly industrial era where a gadget proves its worth by the ability to perform multiple tasks well. Both have come to be associated with the companies that manufacture them. (Leatherman. Gerber. Xerox.) However, neither one can perform the tasks of the other.

Both of our competitors can be very simple or quite complex. Both are versatile and no stage manager would want to be far from either to get the job done. The question though is which is the better tool.

The multitool vs the photocopier. Good luck to both teams. You have until
Tuesday at noon CST to plead your cases.

538

December Madness I: 2012 / Community, Round 5: Gaff Tape vs Spike Tape

« on: Dec 15, 2012, 01:13 am »

Two apples from the same tree are facing off in the opening match of the Sweet Sixteen. With the home court advantage, standing two inches wide, monochromatic and tenacious we've got Gaff Tape. It handily trounced staples and paperclips 55 to 2 in the last tier, but it's going to have an uphill roll against...

Spike tape. Multiple colors and a narrower frame than gaff, but essentially cut from the same cloth. Spike was bloodied in its battle against Post-Its but came out ahead, winning 37 to 10 against despite fighting on a foreign court. Can it pull out the upset and topple its big brother?

The obvious sticky point (pun intended) will be that gaff tape can become spike tape with little provocation, and vice versa. Can spike's convenience and flash overcome the juggernaut of the gaffa?

Voting closes at noon central time on Tuesday.

539

December Madness I: 2012 / Re: December Madness!

« on: Dec 15, 2012, 01:05 am »

Ladies and gents, the first tier matches are finished. We now know all of the teams that will be headed to the sweet sixteen. I am out of pocket until late Monday, so I will be unable to update the bracket until then. In the meantime...

Here are the results from Round 4:
Stopwatch 41 (W) vs Call button 5
Highlighter 34 (W) vs Hammer 12
Cell Phone 44 (W) vs Mor-Tite 1
Glow Tape 10 vs Paper 35 (W)

The first four matches of the sweet sixteen have begun. As before, you have until Tuesday at noon to cast your vote in all four matches. The stakes are higher - all of these contestants have at least one win under their tool belts.

540

December Madness I: 2012 / Re: Commercial, Round 4: Highlighter vs Hammer

« on: Dec 12, 2012, 05:56 pm »

Big enough, strong enough highlighter can take on some jobs a hammer does . . .

I can't say I've ever seen a highlighter that size before.

(...That's what she said.)